Robert Hendery (workshop of), Savage & Lyman

Canadian, 19th century

Claret jug, 1860

silver

34.2 x 14.2 x 16.5 cm

Collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery; Acquired with the assistance of a repatriation grant from the Government of Canada through the Cultural Property Export and Import Act and with funds from Dr. B.B. Fast, Joanne and Michael Lee, Dr. Jack Lipkin, Dr. F.A.L. Mathewson and by friends of the Winnipeg Art Gallery

G-88-401

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Born in Corfu, Greece, and raised in Scotland, Robert Hendery was the first silversmith working in Canada to employ new techniques and current design trends for a wide market: liturgical, domestic, and presentation (honorific or commemorative) silver. Hendery was active in Montreal from 1837 to 1895, either independently or in partnership with others. In order to compete with the firmly established British export trade, Hendery employed expert silver makers from England, resulting in an unprecedented high quality and range of production for Canadian silversmiths. By the 1860s—due to the calibre and virtuosity of its decoration—the Hendery firm dominated the Canadian market. Following Hendery’s retirement in 1895, his firm was purchased by Henry Birks & Sons in 1898.